China Detains 59 in Tibet for 'Spreading Hate'

Activists accused of targeting ethnic Han migrants via music
By Ambreen Ali,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 25, 2008 1:35 PM CST
China Detains 59 in Tibet for 'Spreading Hate'
Chinese officials detained 59 people in Tibet who they say are allied with the Dalai Lama.   (AP Photo)

Chinese police have arrested 59 people in Tibet for downloading and selling banned “reactionary songs” they say fuel ethnic hatred against migrant Han Chinese, the New York Times reports. The detainees are accused of collaborating with the exiled Dalai Lama to fuel unrest in the troubled region. State media did not say whether they have been formally charged.

Ethnic Han, who dominate commerce in Lhasa and other Tibetan cities, were the targets of violent rioting in March that dented Beijing’s image ahead of the Olympics. Chinese officials recently started handing out multiple-year prison terms to some of the protesters, including Tibetan monks. Exile groups say several hundred participants are still in Chinese custody. (More China stories.)

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